Fukuya Authentic Japanese Cuisine @ Jalan Delima, KL

I have been longing to dine at Fukuya ever since I found out it was fine dining and saw night shots of its front lawn. Unfortunately we went there for lunch as lunch sets tend to be cheaper and the glamorous-looking front lawn looked...mehhh...in the glaring light of the sun.
          

Signboard

           

Entrance

       

Menu

     
I love their unique menu which has a piece of bamboo stick as a page binder. The front cover is also made of Japanese washi paper and looked very authentic.
         

Table setting

     
It is not very visible from the above picture but their tables are covered in leather which gives a slightly luxurious feel. The lighting, however, was too dim for us as we were seated at a dark corner which looks out to a dark, slightly rundown garden > . < The quality of the wooden chopsticks was quite bad, in my opinion, for a fine dining restaurant...even Senya has much better chopsticks than this.

      

Salad

   
The above salad came with both lunch sets and was served extremely chilled. It was very refreshing with slivers of raw ebi and its son, ebikko. The dressing drizzled over a mountain of lettuce, alfalfa sprouts and tomato wedges had hints of wasabi.

      

Chawanmushi

     
The piping hot chawanmushi had a piece of chicken, mushroom, gingko nut and even prawn (which is a first for me). It was extremely smooth but a lot firmer than the average chawanmushi...I prefer mine to be slightly bouncy.

      

Appetiser

   
The appetiser consisted of boiled horenso aka spinach mixed with bits of either tuna sashimi or bonito flakes. The dish was unique and tasty but it was a tad too cold as my teeth felt rather sensitive.

     

Seiro Set (RM 43)

   
The Seiro set consists of a choice of steamed rice with grilled eel (you can opt for grilled salmon or scallops as well), sashimi, tempura, miso soup, homemade radish and cucumber pickles (that were extremely sour) and dessert. Although not stated in the menu, the set comes with chawahmushi, salad and appetiser too.

      

Sashimi

   
This is the sashimi that came with the Seiro Set. Although no doubt it is top grade sashimi, I felt extremely letdown as they were served at room temperature and not even the slightest bit chilled. It was warm and Fukuya was not as generous with the sashimi as other restaurants. This could probably be because they've already given lots of unagi at extremely cheap pricing.

      

Grilled Unagi on Steamed Rice

     
I highly recommend you try this! The eel was basted with a lovely sweet sauce and its skin was slightly crisp from the grilling whilst the meat was succulent and tender. The fine bones embedded in the eel were also meticulously plucked out. Its aromatic and yummy gravy penetrates the rice and bed of egg roll strips as it is being steamed which results in an awesome meal on its own. This itself is definitely worth the entire price tag of RM 43.

       

Tempura

   
The soft shell crab tempura looked really good but probably because I squeezed lots of lemon onto it and took my time eating it, it was a little soggy. I didn't mind though as the lemon juice gave it a whole new dimension and made it very yummy. A unique addition was a shiso leaf tempura that remained extremely crispy.

       

Fuku-Fuku Lunch (RM 40)

   
The Fuku-Fuku Lunch Set came with appetizer, chawanmushi, salad, steamed rice, homemade radish and cucumber pickles, miso soup and dessert. There is a choice of two main dishes and we had the tuna and salmon sashimi and grilled saba mackerel.

     

Sashimi

   
Similarly with the sashimi served in the Seiro set, this did not give us the wow factor as it was served at room temperature =( What a huge disappointment =(

        

Grilled Saba

     
The grilled saba mackerel was really good and juicy with crispy skin. It came with a lotus root pickle which was surprisingly very crunchy and yummy.

       

Miso Soup

     
The miso soup was just nice with lots (and I mean lots) of wakame and tofu. Nothing spectacular but just wanted to show this unique lacquered bowl with red lacquered insides. Very outstanding indeed.

       

Dessert

     
Dessert was two honeydew and watermelon cubes. Quite disappointing as I had expected at least green tea ice-cream like other fine dining restaurants. Oh well, I guess they've got to make some profit with their relatively affordable fine dining lunch sets.

      

Service was not very good as it seems that Fukuya only has a few staff who know good English and have impeccable manners. It was difficult to get them to take our order as they were quite busy and the other wait staff kept pretending not to see us waving. When one finally did come over, she had a heavy accent, probably Thai or Filipino, and I couldn't understand what she was saying at all > . <
   
One thing is for sure though, although the food at Fukuya is no doubt good and of high quality, next time I opt to go for fine dining, I'd definitely go to Cocotei instead.
 
 
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Cheese
         

Fukuya Authentic Japanese Cuisine
9, Jalan Delima
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2144 1022
Mon - Sat: 12pm - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 10.30pm
Sun: 6pm - 10pm

Restoran Makanan Laut Yoke Heng @ Seri Kembangan, KL

We were going for the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale at Seri Kembangan and since we go there like once in 10 years, our main aim was to try some local awesome food. It also helped that it was a predominantly Chinese area with guaranteed delicious hawker fare.
   
Thanks to JS, our target of the day was a restaurant famous for its claypot loh shu fun. It is so well-known, in fact, that there are many pictures of celebrities posing with the owners adorning the wall.

      

Shop Front

       

Claypot Loh Shu Fun

     
Their infamous Loh Shu Fun is served in a rustic claypot with a rich eggy gravy similar to Loh Mee. When it arrived at our table, you could smell its aroma a mile away as the dish had a generous serving of extremely crunchy deep-fried dried shrimps plonked right on top of the yummy mess. There were also plenty of sliced shiitake mushrooms to add flavour to the yummy gravy. I'm not too sure but it tasted as though a bit of XO sauce was included. With a dash of black vinegar, the slippery and silky smooth loh shu fun slithering about in the aromatic gravy tasted absolutely awesome!!! It's definitely the best I've ever eaten.

      

Yummy mess

       

Stir Fried Clams

     
The clams were stir fried over high heat with lots of garlic and bird's eye chillies. It smelled amazing and tasted extremely delicious - also the best I've ever eaten and that's saying a lot considering it's just normal stir-fried clams. I absolutely hate garlic except when it's spread on garlic bread but the garlic in this dish is so yummy! It didn't taste like garlic at all and was super fragrant and crispy. The dish also contained lots of deep fried dried shrimps which totally enhanced its flavour.

       

Honey Glazed Ribs

     
I felt the ribs were forgettable but JS loved them. The ribs were coated in dark caramelised honey and baked until the meat was tender. The freshness of the ribs was also a plus point as the meat fell off the bone easily.
     
I know Seri Kembangan is extremely far away (for me, at least) but if you're in the area, I highly recommend you drop by Yoke Heng and try their Loh Shu Fun and Stir-Fried Clams - they definitely don't disappoint!!
   
   
PawPoints: 5 Paws
Pawket: Onion
           Restoran Makanan Laut Yoke Heng
33 Jalan SR8/4
Taman Putra Indah
Serdang Raya
Seri Kembangan
Tel: 03 8943 8753

South Sea Seafood Restaurant @ Kampung Baru Subang, PJ

South Sea Seafood is a halal restaurant serving all sorts of sea creatures imaginable. It is located near the old Subang airport with huge signs directing you to its location.

       

        

Stir-Fried French Beans

 
The french beans which were sauteed over high heat were springy and crunchy.

    

Deep Fried Mantis Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk

   
We said we wanted "lai liu har" and one of the managers promptly corrected us, giving us a lesson on the different types of prawns. Anyway we got what we wanted in the end and this dish was awesome. Each prawn had a thick coating of salted egg yolk and was deep fried till crispy.
        

Yam Puff with Assorted Vegetables

   
I quite like this dish. The assorted vegetables included baby corn, green peppers, carrots, onions, chestnuts and mushrooms. It also came with chicken pieces. The yam puff was very dense and yummy even though I prefer a fluffier version. The deep fried meehoon also provided extra crunch to the dish.
      

Crabs in Butter Sauce

   
The crabs were very sweet and fresh and the thick, milky butter sauce was very aromatic and flavourful. Extremely good when mopped up with deep fried buns, as pictured below.

       

Deep Fried Buns

      

Tofu and Minced Meat

   
I love tofu dishes like this. Each tofu piece is deep fried till its skin is golden and its insides still fluffy, and is bathed in an aromatic and savoury sauce flavoured with minced meat, pickled radish and minced mushrooms. Absolutely wonderful with rice.
   
Dining here is quite expensive though but the dishes served were all really good and I highly recommend this place. Best to reserve a place for dinner as it is always packed to the rafters and you don't want to end up in disappointment after a long drive.
   
   
PawPoints: 5 Paws
Pawket: Cheese
          
     
South Sea Seafood Restaurant

229 Jalan Dua A
Kampung Baru Subang
Tel: 03 7846 1401
Daily: 11am - 11pm

Tokyo Kitchen @ Sunway Giza Mall, Kota Damansara

Tokyo Kitchen is a quaint little place, with lots of zakka stuff on display. It is located outside Sunway Giza Mall near Full House.

       

                

Exterior

              

Cute plate

                 

Sashimi

                 
The sashimi was, we felt, their redeeming grace. They were very generous with the sashimi as evidenced by the thick slabs of salmon and butterfish. The sashimi was cold and juicy too. Definitely fine dining standard.
                         

Ebidon

             
The Ebidon came with 4 big pieces of ebi tempura. It was sufficiently good but nothing particularly outstanding. Also there was way too much rice that even a rice lover like me couldn't finish it. Perhaps they should cut down on rice and prevent a bit of wastage there.

               

Katsudon

             
The Katsudon was a disappointment. The chicken katsu were hard and the smell of reused frying oil was evident. Didn't enjoy this at all.
             
Both the Ebidon and Katsudon came with a bowl of miso soup which was salty to me. Other people would probably find it very salty since I have relatively higher salt tolerance.
               

Please come visit us!

           
Hmmm I guess it's quite a unique place to come for a meal but I will probably head to Sushi Zanmai instead...
           
           
PawPoints: 2 Paws (5 Paws for Sashimi)
Pawket: Cheese
                      
                      
Tokyo Kitchen

Lot C-01, Sunway Giza Mall
Tel: 03 6151 1268
Sun - Thur: 12pm - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 12pm - 12am

Lai Ching Yuen Chinese Restaurant @ Grand Millennium Hotel, KL

Lai Ching Yuen is Grand Millennium Hotel's resident Chinese restaurant. I was fortunate to be able to attend a working lunch where they served us a 7-course set meal.

     

          

Shanghai Hot and Sour Soup with Crab Meat

   
The Hot and Sour Soup totally lived up to its name. It was sour and spicy with quite generous amounts of crab meat.

      

Crispy Roasted Chicken Weng Chun Style

   
The roasted chicken was really good with crispy skin. Its flesh was absolutely smooth with a nicely salted flavour.

     

Fried Prawns with Salted Egg and Butter Sauce

   
The deep fried prawns were crunchy with a strong salted egg yolk flavour. It didn't seem very fresh as it was difficult to separate the flesh from the shell without risking it flying across the table. It was however sufficiently crunchy that I could eat the entire thing, shell and all.

     

Deep Fried Fish Fillet with Mango Sauce

   
The mango sauce coating the fish tasted a bit odd but the batter was light and non-greasy and the fish firm.

      

Braised Ngai Pak with Pacific Clams

   
The vegetables were crisp and fully absorbed the savoury flavours of the oyster sauce gravy. I also absolutely loved the spongy clams.

     

Fried Rice with Diced Chicken and Anchovy

   
The fried rice looked great but was totally tasteless. I had to add liberal amounts of soy sauce to enhance its taste.

     

Chilled Sea Coconut and Snow Fungus with Fresh Lemon

     
The chilled dessert could have been very refreshing with spongy snow fungus and sea coconut thrown in but the chef was a tad heavy handed with the lemon, rendering it quite sour.
   
Some hits and misses there but overall, quite a nice meal I'd say.
 
 
PawPoints: 4 Paws
       
       
Lai Ching Yuen
Grand Millennium Hotel
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2117 4888
Mon - Fri: 12pm - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 10.30pm
Sat - Sun: 11am - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 10.30pm

Daorae Korean BBQ Restaurant @ Sri Hartamas, KL

The first time I had a Korean meal was at Daorae and although I'm sure many would be able to recommend cheaper and more delicious Korean fare at other restaurants, I'll most likely return to Daorae just for convenience's sake. I'm no Korean food expert so can't tell if the food is really that good but it's good enough for my brother and I =)
        

Complimentary banchan

   
What I love about Daorae are the numerous and unlimited side dishes! They've got my favourite stir-fried spinach, pancakes and potato salad (though I wish they did not top it with chilli sauce >.< ). I also wish they had the caramelised fried anchovies that I love. I think they rotate the side dishes on maybe a daily basis (?) but I was lucky to get free pancake sides so I wouldn't have to order a whole pancake =P
        

Bulgogi (RM 25)

     
Here's the beef slices in some sweetish sauce that is yummy but can get cloying towards the end. A layer of oil sitting atop the gravy can burn your tongue if you're not careful.

       

Kimchi Jjigae (RM 18)

   
The quintessential kimchi stew with pork and numerous hidden goodies such as tofu, cabbage and glass noodles.
   
Sorry for the lack of comments but I guess I'm just not too enthusiastic about Korean food. They're good enough, yummy and comforting, and I'm actually kind of craving for them right now especially bibimbap but I doubt I'll be the one to initiate a Korean meal. Oh well, my brother who is as mad about Korean culture as I am about Japanese culture will be home soon and most probably (more like 99% likelihood) I'll be bringing him back to Daorae. Now who wants to join me so we can have a round of barbecued pork? =D

      

   
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Tomato
          
Daorae Korean BBQ Restaurant

19 Jalan 23/70A
Sri Hartamas
Tel: 03 6203 2616
Daily

DIB Coffees of Hawaii @ Damansara Perdana

DIB aka Deaf in Business Coffees of Hawaii is a cafe run by the deaf and mute. It really is so kind of the owner to open such a shop to assist the deaf and mute waiters and waitresses in making a living. The staff are always so polite, always smiling, always cheerful. It is a delight to visit this shop for a nice cup of coffee and to chill when you are stressed.

       

Aloha!

     
The shop signboard clearly reflects the Hawaiian theme employed for the cafe.

   

Menu

   
On the back of the menu are various pictograms depicting the sign language for various expressions. This is to help you communicate with the staff and also for your own general knowledge.

       

Lovely ceramics

   
Hot tea is served in a lovely ceramic pot with an exquisite print in a soothing teal colour. The pot lid knob is thoughtfully made from wood as I can't remember the countless times I've been unable to hold ceramic pot lid knobs because they were the same temperature as the hot tea! A tea leaf strainer is encased in the pot to allow the leaves to steep without being released into the cup as the tea is being poured. Now I must go find myself a treasure like this =)
     
The small cups are very cheerful with contemporary prints. I have seen the design of the cup on the left somewhere but now I just can't remember where.

      

What a good idea!

       

Passion Fruit Iced Tea (RM 9.80)

   
I had this which came with numerous edible passion fruit seeds. The seeds, being rather tiny, were a delight to munch on although it got tiring after a while to munch on ice-cold seeds >.< But I will still order this on my next visit as I like the sweet taste of passion fruit =)

       

How about a cup of coffee?

      

Chemistry lab equipment

   
They've got a really cool-looking coffee-brewing machine which looks like they are part of a distillation process which is probably what was going on. There were equipment such as the Bunsen burner, stand and its clamp, round-bottom flask and glass rods for stirring.

      

See the contraption?

       

100% Maui Mokha

   
The taste of the coffee was really unique as the grinded coffee beans were dissolved into water in the flask before allowing it to slowly drip into a second flask under it. This resulted in the release of a really pleasant coffee aroma and strong caffeine undertones.

      

Passion Fruit Cheesecake

The cheesecake was really creamy and sweet with the passion fruit jam on top. My favourite out of all the cakes. JS thought it was so-so only.

Lemon Cheesecake

The Lemon Cheesecake was quite tart and sourish. 

Pineapple Cheesecake

The Pineapple Cheesecake was all right.

Overall, DIB Coffees is quite a nice and novel place to chill and have a nice cuppa. Downside is it is quite out of the way for most PJ folk though. We would give 4 Paws for the drinks especially the coffee and 2 Paws for the cakes and so we've adjusted the rating to 3 Paws.


PawPoints: 3 Paws 
Pawket: Onion

DIB Coffees of Hawaii
11-A-1, Jln PJU 8/5A,
Bandar Damansara Perdana
Tel: 016 480 1040
Daily: 9.30am - 10.30pm